The Last Song
by Dormouse8
Summary: The Singing Towers had sung and soon River's song would be over too.  He'd fought so hard to keep it together, but something prevented him. The Doctor wondered if it was guilt.


**A/N:** So this is my first attempt at writing something other than Harry Potter. It's also my first writing attempt all year, so it's a little rusty/sappy.

However, I do love The Doctor/River, and I somehow imagined their last encounter (Well, River's) to take place at Stormcage. Enjoy.

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><p><em><strong>The Last Song<strong>_

"Must they sound that bloody alarm all the time? I'm breaking _in_, not out!"

The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his screwdriver. Aiming it at the screeching alarm above their head, he clicked and the corridor plunged into silence.

River smiled, pushing the door of her cell open.

"Thank you Sweetie."

Walking to the small bed in the corner of her cell, she lazily sat down, throwing her coat onto the cabinet adjacent. The Doctor remained at the entrance leaning awkwardly against the bars. This was her second stay at Stormcage since her pardon from Father Octavian. The Doctor sometimes wondered if she came back here on purpose.

"Who'd of thought the Towers would open with a rendition of Bowie?"

She asked, a small grin capturing her lips.

He smiled back, trying to keep the sadness from his eyes.

The Singing Towers had sung and soon River's song would be over too. He'd fought so hard to keep it together, but something prevented him. The Doctor wondered if it was guilt.

_She'd worried frightfully when he broke down. It was the last song at the Towers, and she'd looked up at her Doctor, smile beaming, to find his eyes glassy as he looked down at her. _

"_Something the matter my Love?" River asked, brow furrowed._

_He just smiled and playfully touched her nose. But the pain in his eyes was still there. _

"Something the matter my Love?" Came her concern, the same line from earlier in the night snapping him from his thoughts.

He shook his head. "Just thinking."

"Are you going to stay a while?" She asked, hoping he'd say yes, but would never dare admit it.

"If you like."

"Of course I'd like."

The Doctor smiled, taking his hands from his pockets as he came to sit beside her, awkwardly perching himself on the edge of the bed. River looked at him, his gangly posture unnaturally tense. She brushed it off not wanting to spoil their night.

"River?"

"Mm?" She replied laying her head on his shoulder as a strike of lightning illuminated the cell around them.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" The Doctor asked, unfamiliarity lacing his tone.

"Who's to say it's over?" She replied, knowing her flirtatious reply would have put a smile on his face.

"Oh stop it." He said, the usualness between them returning, banter right on cue.

"Make me."

He chuckled and River lifted her head to look at him. His face so young compared with his eyes that had seen an age. Eyes that had seen right into Time itself, witnessed the fall of planets and gazed right through her soul. Not to mention his _ridiculous_ hair.

He looked back at her, before leaning forward and placing a delicate kiss on her forehead.

"To answer your question, I did enjoy tonight." she mumbled.

The Doctor smiled, placing an arm around her shoulder and giving her a light squeeze.

"Good... I'm glad."

"Can we go back Doctor? I'd like to see the Towers at Christmas."

The Doctor gulped, a small stab hitting his chest knowing she wouldn't.

"Spoilers, River."

"Oh, you. You're impossible." She responded, reaching forward for his hand. She placed her own on top of his, before moving her fingers to lightly trace the lines on his palm.

"It's never simple is it Doctor?"

Shocked by her frankness, he looked at her. She didn't return the gaze, her eyes still locked on their hands.

"I thought you knew that better than most, River, given our situation."

She exhaled a little and the Doctor felt her breath slightly tickle his hand.

"I do.. it just never is."

He felt obliged to respond, to lighten the mood.

"Come now River. We both know you like to keep me on my toes."

"Well someone's got to Sweetie."

They sat in silence for a while, each reminiscing about past memories shared.

Another lighting strike blinded the cell and the Doctor suddenly remembered.

"I've got something for you." The Doctor mentioned feeling inside his pockets, as River looked up curiously.

"For me, my Love? I do love presents."

Her smirk quickly changed to that of surprise when he pulled a small metal object from his inside pocket, not unlike his Sonic Screwdriver.

"Sweetie, I can't-"

But he took her hand in his own and placed it in her palm.

"I insist."

River shook her head, making the curls framing her face quiver slightly.

"I know how much this means to you, I can't."

She tried to push the screwdriver back into his hand but he refused.

"Consider it an early birthday present."

"It's not my birthday for months."

The stabbing pain returned in the Doctor's chest, and he forced a smile. "Well, just don't expect anything else."

River glanced at him, a glint in her eye. "Not even a repeat appearance from the _other _Doctor?"

The Doctor felt his cheeks growing hot at the memory of her previous birthday, still not quite knowing how she'd manage to talk him into _that _scenario.

She laughed at his squirming and reached a hand to his cheek. Leaning forward she placed her lips to his and kissed him gently. They broke apart, remaining close.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

"Can I ask why?"

The Doctor reached forward, gently placing a finger under her chin. "Must everything need a reason River?"

But still she wasn't satisfied. "With you, yes. Everything does."

"Well, maybe the reason is yet to be known."

She looked at him, wonder in her eyes as she lightly shook her head.

"You're impossible."

He grinned, letting his hand drop from beneath her chin as he titled his head to the side.

"As always."

Before she could ask another question about her present he decided on a change of subject.

"So, where's that delightful blue diary of yours? Surely you need to document the night's events?"

River quirked an eyebrow.

"Now, that would be telling Doctor."

He laughed, accepting the challenge. "I bet I already know where it is."

Her lips curled into a smirk. "A bet? I do love those. What's your wager?"

The Doctor smiled, never tiring of their playing. "Oh I think you can decide that, River."

She leaned her head close to his ear, her wild mane of hair brushing his cheek. "Big mistake, Sweetie."

He momentarily gulped, then cursed himself inwardly when she noticed. A sultry glint in her eye, she winked before gesturing the cell before them.

"Do your stuff, Honey."

He cleared his throat before standing, tugging on his jacket out of habit. Taking a few steps into the centre of the cell he paused, thinking of how best to entertain her, already knowing the location of her diary.

"Now, River. I'd say I need to know you well enough, to know where a woman of yourself keeps her diary. And that, I do."

"Stop stalling, Timelord." Came her reply, all smiles.

"Much too simple for it to be in your cabinet," he reasoned, leaping forward and brushing her coat aside to inspect for any diaries. He turned to look at her as she laughed and shook her head.

"Keep guessing."

"Right, no, of course not." The Doctor bounded about the cell - as she looked on and chuckled - pressing an ear close to the wall and tapped. "No secret compartments-"

He leaned to the floor, looking beneath the spindly metal bed. "And definitely not under here."

He jumped to his feet and resumed his position on the bed beside her.

"So where would a woman such as yourself keep it hidden?" The Doctor mock-asked, feigning a thought.

"It depends, how many women's diaries do you go looking for?

He grinned before reaching around River, moving a hand beneath her thin pillow and retrieving her diary from its place.

"Sometimes the most treasured thing is in the simplest place." River said, watching as The Doctor turned the diary over in his hands.

"I do enjoy your 'I'm so terribly smart' Act." She added, eyes twinkling as she looked up at her Doctor.

"It's no act, River."

She grinned. "Oh shut up."

Grabbing him by the front of his shirt, she pulled him forward. Colliding his lips with her own, he twitched awkwardly for a moment before relaxing. She'd trained him well after all this time. They parted, each one's breathing a little shallow, before she reached for her diary and pulled it gently from his hands.

"Spoilers, Doctor." She mumbled close to his lips.

And just for that moment, he forget the sadness he felt - albeit - just for a moment.

"River can I ask you something?"

"Oh, another? You're full of questions tonight, Doctor."

"Is there a reason for your frequent returns to Stormcage?"

"Because I keep getting caught." Came her quick reply hints of humour evident.

He breathed a laugh.

"No, really. Why?"

She turned her head looking straight into his eyes.

"You'll always know where to find me if I'm here."

The honesty of her reply coupled with the tragedy of it all stopped him breathing for just a second.

"I know where to find you anywhere River."

Once again silence engulfed them, before a chime rang in the distance signalling the guard changeover.

The Doctor gulped, abruptly standing to his feet. This was it.

"I've got to go."

River couldn't help the disappointment in her eyes.

"Must you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He simply nodded, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet.

They walked the short distance to her cell door in silence before he turned to face her, never letting go of her hand.

"Promise me you'll keep the screwdriver with you at all times."

River thought this a funny way to end the evening but nodded all the same.

The Doctor looked down at her, the glassy look returning to his eyes. River frowned, he'd never shed a tear any other time they parted ways.

"Doctor?" she asked, a small sense of worry in her voice.

But he ignored her, simply placing one hand to her cheek as he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

She let her eyes flutter shut as he squeezed her hand lightly.

Then he stood back, mouth pursed into a small line as he looked at her one last time, unbeknownst to her.

"Goodbye River Song."

She flashed him her best smile, eyes alight as her mind flashed at the thought of their next adventure.

"Till next time Doctor."

He clasped his free hand over theirs entwined, bringing them to his lips. He softly kissed her exposed knuckled before letting it drop. He winked, before turning on the spot and walking towards the TARDIS that was encased in the shadows of the corridor.

She watched silently as the noise so familiar as her own breathing sounded, telling her that he'd gone. _Only for now_, she thought before pulling the door to her cell shut and returning to her bed.

She sat for a moment taking in the night's events. Another adventure lost to her memories. she smiled as she welcomed the feeling of loneliness that often encased her for a short while after his departure.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she reached for the blue diary beside her. Flicking open the journal the words of a thousand journeys shot past her eyes. She came to a blank page and paused for a moment. Reaching beneath her pillow for a pen, River smiled and dated the entry, before again pausing thinking of the best way to start.

River winced as a pain shot through her hand. Stopping her writing mid-sentence, she stretched her fingers and slowly lifted her head. Her cell walls were now murky grey, indicating to her that it was early morning. She hadn't realised just how long she'd been writing for.

Hearing footsteps approach, she began writing again, finishing her account of the Singing Towers just as somebody called her name.

"Professor Song? A visitor."

River didn't look up, instead she smiled down at her entry.

"If it's that damn warden with another warning, tell him I'm busy."

"Professor Song?" Came a voice unknown to River, making her head snap up in surprise.

She was greeted by a balding man in his forties, slightly overweight, with an air of intelligence.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Strackman Lux. I have a proposition you might be interested in."

River glanced to her right, the Doctor's screwdriver still in its place from the previous night. Her heart quickened a beat. She closed her diary and ran a hand over the cover. Placing it down beside her she stood and walked to her cell door.

"Ok Mr Lux, you have my attention."

Lux's eyes twinkled and River smiled, the thought of her next great adventure quickly becoming her reality.

She couldn't wait to tell the Doctor about _this one. _

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><p><strong><em>R&amp;R appreciated :)<em>**


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